


Puppy Love

by a_windsor



Series: Thing!verse [39]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 11:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11147499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_windsor/pseuds/a_windsor
Summary: Momma and Mami's little Lena-bug is growing up. Spring/Summer 2033





	Puppy Love

_Puppy Love_ _-_ **Spring to Summer 2033**

 

 

“Your daughter asked my daughter to prom.”

McDreamy is mcsmirking.

“Excuse me?”

“Your daughter. Asked my daughter. To prom. Apparently, Katie has been freaking out about going alone to her senior prom for weeks, so Lena asked her. Katie said no, by the way. She said Lena has to ask Mia Randolph, because Lena’s, quote, ‘totally in love with her’. But I thought you should know. You’ve raised at least two gentlemen so far.”

“That’s a little sexist, Dr. Shepherd,” she teases.

“For lack of a better word,” Derek acquiesces. “I think Katie was touched by the gesture, but she’s the wrong Robbins-Torres.”

“Yeah,” Arizona sighs. “I know.”

“Is Lena really in love with this girl?”

“Head over heels, from what I’ve seen. They sit next to each other in calculus.”

“That’s sweet.”

Arizona grimaces. “She’s straight, Lena says. Or at least not out. They spend a lot of time together, though. She’s been to the hospital a few times.”

“In any supply closets?”

“No, actually. And Caroline loves to tattle on her sister, so I would know.”

“Ah. Lena must be serious. It can’t hurt to ask, though. They’re young. What’s the worst that can happen? She says no?”

“Is that McDreamy advice?”

“Certified and everything,” Derek laughs. “Everyone should have a magical prom.”

“You were prom king, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” Derek admits. “What was your prom like?”

Arizona snorts and grabs her charts.

“Didn’t go. I was the new girl. No one asked, and it’s not like I could’ve shown up with a girl as my date, anyway.”

“Right,” Derek slumps. “Sorry?”

“It didn’t scar me too badly. Successful adult. Very happily married. Most days.”

Derek laughs. “True. Well, I have to go save lives. Tell Lena I said to go for it, for what it’s worth. She’s very charming; the girl’d be a fool to say no.”

Derek leaves, mcsmirking again.

Arizona rolls her eyes and scoffs: “McDreamy.”

 

***

 

“You’re asking her,” Katie repeats firmly.

“But I don’t mind taking you, Kate. We’ll have fun. Maybe I’ll even get you a little drunk and take advantage of you,” Lena teases.

“Ew,” Grey objects, spinning a football between his hands. “Siblings don’t share that much.”

Katie and Lena look at each other and then mutually shudder.

“You’re asking her, or you’re chicken,” Katie ignores Lena’s earlier comments.

“I’m not chicken! I don’t want to put her in an uncomfortable position.”

Grey gives a little squawk and cluck.

“Chicken,” Katie repeats. “She’s going to say yes. She’s totally into you.”

“She’s into boys. She had a boyfriend back L.A., and they only broke up because she moved here.”

“Mami only had boyfriends until she was in her thirties,” Caroline offers from the cafeteria table behind them where she and Susie are allegedly doing homework with the younger boys.

“Pipe down in the peanut gallery,” Lena calls over her shoulder to the eighth graders.

“I’m just saying. _Dated_ boys doesn’t mean only will date boys.”

Lena pointedly ignores her little sister but murmurs to Grey: “I hate it when she’s right.”

“I like Mia,” Teo adds his own two cents, the newly eleven-year-old looking up from his math homework. “She’s nice. And pretty.”

“We know,” Grey calls over to him with a grin. “We’re not sure which Robbins-Torres likes her more.”

“Just walk up to her and say: ‘Mia, would you like to go to prom with me? We can just go as friends if that makes you more comfortable, but I would really love to go as something more.’ What’s the problem? You ask out, and are turned down by, straight girls all the time.”

“I _like_ her. What if she doesn’t even want to be friends after I ask her? What if she’s scared off?”

“What if you have to take Grey to prom because you’re too chicken to ask the girl you like?”

Lena makes a face.

“I do look very handsome in a tux,” Grey supplies, utterly unhelpfully.

“Fine.”

Katie squeals. “Really? You’ll do it?”

“Yep. Worst thing she says is... well, she could say some pretty awful things, but she’s Mia, so those seem pretty remote possibilities. Worst case scenario she lets me down gently and adorably, and everything is awkward, and I fake a reason to switch seats in calculus.”

“That’s the spirit!” Grey says helpfully, smacking his best friend on the back before spinning the football into the air again.

“I can totally do this,” Lena says confidently. She looks between Katie and Grey, who smile encouragingly. Her face falls, and she lets her head drop to the table. “No, I can’t.”

 

***

 

Decision made, Lena-nena’s usual confidence returns. Somewhat.

“Put your money away,” Lena admonishes lightly, a gentle hand stilling Mia’s as it reaches for her wallet.

“I can pay for own dinner,” Mia laughs, but does nothing to remove Lena’s hand from her own.

“Nope. I asked you to dinner to ask you a question. I’ll feel bad if I make you pay to feel awkward.”

“Awkward? What could you ask me that would be awkward?”

Lena smiles nervously, but then it’s their turn to order. Mia orders her usual taco salad. Lena turns her dazzling smile to the burrito man behind the counter and quickly rattles off her order in Spanish, adding a few bits of small talk and typical Lena charm.

She pays over Mia’s renewed objections, and they find a quiet corner to sit. Lena starts fidgeting with her napkin, and Mia says, warmly:

“It’s so cool that you can do that.”

Lena watches the smile that spreads to her green eyes and notes how even the florescent light of fast food Mexican restaurants brings out the natural highlights in her light brown hair. It makes her look like an angel.

She mentally smacks herself across the face for _that_ line of sappiness, since Grey isn’t there to do it for her.

“Do what?” she manages after what was probably a conspicuously long pause. At least she wasn’t caught staring at her breasts. This time.

“Order in Spanish like that.”

“C’mon. You’re from L.A. I’m sure you know how to order cheap burritos in Spanish.”

“Never a skill I acquired. And I’ve always taken French.”

“Ugh. French. Blech,” Lena teases.

Mia kicks her, delicately, under the table.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“Being a brat. Eat your burrito and stop whining.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lena grins.

They make small talk until dinner is just getting picked at, when Mia blurts:

“Did you really ask Katie Shepherd to prom?”

Lena thinks/hopes/dreams that’s a little jealousy in her voice.

“Yes,” she answers honestly. “But just ‘cause she’s so sad that Asa’s at school and they’re broken up. And no one else has asked her. Probably because she’s still pining over Asa.”

“Did she say yes?” Mia asks, tugging nervous on a chunk of her wavy hair.

“Nope.”

“Really?”

Lena takes a deep breath. “Yep. Because she knows who I really want to take.”

“Who- Who’s that?”

Lena looks up from idly playing with her straw and takes a leap:

“You.”

She meets Mia’s clearly surprised eyes and presses on.

“Will you go to prom with me? We can go as friends if you really want, but I _really_ like you, Mia. Like, more than friends, like you.”

They sit in agonizing silence for a few beats until Mia says, firmly:

“Yes.”

“Yes?” Lena asks, stunned.

“Yes, but can I get back to you on friends or more than thing?”

“Um, sure, yes, definitely. Really?”

Mia nods, twisting a piece of hair again.

“We’d have a great time. Can’t imagine going with anyone else, actually.”

“Seriously?”

Mia laughs her sweet laugh. “Yes, silly.” She bites her lip. “I think I might like you, too, Lena.”

Lena is pretty sure her brain just exploded; she couldn’t respond if she had to.

“I don’t know. I’ve never really liked a girl before. How do you know?”

“I dunno. I’ve never really liked a boy before, so I can’t tell you if there’s a difference.”

Mia laughs again.

“Well, either way, I’ll have the best date ever,” she declares, reaching across to thread her fingers through Lena’s on the table. “Every single person will be jealous.”

“They’ll be jealous alright,” Lena says, trying to be cool and not reveal her racing heart at the contact. “But not because of me.”

Mia blushes and keeps their fingers linked.

“We’ll have to compare dress colors and make sure they don’t clash.”

Lena rolls her eyes with a gentle laugh.

“We have to think of the logistics!” Mia objects.

“I am! Transportation, dinner, corsages.”

“Ooh. That’s a good point. Who gets who a corsage?”

“I did the asking; I’ll get you one.”

“No, now I want to get you one, too...”

Mia launches into a ramble about colors and flowers and dresses. Lena, half-interested, just listens and doesn’t even try to hide the stupid grin on her face.

 

***

 

When Lena gets home, she’s still grinning ear to ear. She plops her car keys in the bowl by the door with a triumphant jingle, and Arizona looks up suspiciously from her mighty Jenga game with Callie, Tiny Dancer, and Nicky Altman-Tate.

“What did you do?”

“Nada,” Lena sings, practically skipping over to the living room coffee table and dropping kisses to cheeks all around.

“Lena Rose,” Callie laughs. “Dínos. Ahorita.” [Tell us, now.]

Her stupid grin gets even wider, and the boys exchange confused and bemused (as eleven-year-olds can be) glances.

“Oh, just asked Mia to prom.”

Callie gives an appropriately dramatic gasp.

“And she said yes.”

Callie beams, and Arizona feels the warring pride and maternal worry well up in her. Lena is so obviously in love, and Arizona is so very protective of her daughter’s big, beautiful heart.

“And she said _maybe_ as more than a friend,” Lena adds with a dorky little victory dance, eliciting laughs from Callie and Teo.

Then Callie is on her feet, sweeping Lena into a big hug.

“Oh my Lena-nena. I’m so happy for you. Tanto coraje tiene mi hija. And how could she say no to you?” [My daughter is so brave.]

“¿Quieres que te enseñe a bailar?” [Do you want me to teach you to dance?] Teo offers teasingly, earning a headlock from his big sister.

“Hey, I can dance!” she objects and scruffs his hair.

“Nick! Help!”

It quickly turns into a dogpile, and Arizona’s tension leaves her.

Lena’s still her goofy Lena, even if she’s starting to seem so grown up sometimes. And she’s just doing what Arizona asked: having more serious (for high school) relationships and spending less time making out with random girls in parking lots.

Which should make her feel better, really, but just closes the door on one set of worries and opens it on another.

 

***

 

Mia tells her parents as soon as she gets home. They’re perplexed but supportive, and her mother starts asking a million questions about, of course, logistics, until Mia escapes upstairs.

When she’s changed and in bed, she thinks about that awkward, unexpected, moment where she’d desperately wanted to kiss Lena goodnight when they parted ways in the parking lot. She’s heard that Lena is an excellent kisser from a rather large segment of the girls in their grade, and she’s found herself increasingly curious to find out for herself.

But the need she’d forced herself not to act on in the parking lot went a long way to deciding whether she wants to just be Lena’s friend. She feels butterflies she hasn’t felt since sweet, shy Dylan sat down next to her in freshman English and introduced himself in a voice squeaky with nerves.

Her mother knocks on her door and comes to sit on the bed.

“I think it’s just lovely that you’re going as your friend’s date. It’s very kind; she can’t have a lot of options at a small school like yours.”

Mia bites her lip.

“I don’t think I’m going as her friend.”

Her mother’s brow wrinkles, and Mia takes the plunge.

“I think I’m going as Lena’s date because I really like her. Like, I want to kiss her and hold her hand and... she’s so nice and funny and ho- pretty. And she looks at me, like... I don’t know; I’m confused. I thought I liked boys. I really liked Dylan. But I don’t know. Is that okay, Mom?”

Her mom gapes like a fish out of water before recovering admirably.

“Of course it’s _okay_ , darling,” she says gently. “You’re very young, and you should do what you think and _feel_ is right. I’m just a little shocked is all. This is the blonde, right? With the lovely manners and good handshake?”

Mia nods, a little teary from the combined emotion of her confession and newly discovered feelings.

“Well, I definitely want to meet her again.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course, darling. Let’s wait until you’re a little more sure before we tell your father, okay? If you’re sure, I know he’ll be very supportive, but let’s not stress him until we know there’s something to worry him over.”

“So I should lie?”

“No. No, never, Mia. Just leave him to his assumptions for a bit. If things get serious, we’ll catch him up.”

“Okay.”

“Is she very sweet to you?”

Mia grins and nods. “She comes from a military family and has all these silly old manners. She always holds opens doors and lets me order food first.”

“Military? Which branch?”

“Marines, I think. Her brother graduated last year, and now he’s at the Naval Academy. They’re freaky smart, she and her brother. And she has a brother and a sister in the lower and middle school. Her moms are doctors, so Caroline and Teo are usually around when we study together.”

“You know quite a bit about her,” her mom teases.

Mia blushes.

“We talk a lot.”

“Good.”

“I love you, Mom,” Mia smiles.

It’s her mom’s turn to get a little teary.

“I love you, too, darling. Goodnight.”

“Night, Mom.”

 

***

 

The next day is Saturday, and Lena and Caroline have been drafted into a coop maintenance project with Arizona and Teo. Callie, seventeen years into chicken ownership, still refuses to get closer to the coop than a three-foot radius.

Briar Rose, their matriarch now at nine, clucks affectionately as Teo pats her back and checks for any eggs. The younger hens, Snowie (White), Cinderella, and Ariel, pester at Lena and Caroline while they put their hammers to use nailing down boards that warped in the cold, wet winter. It's warmer now, in late April, but still a little overcast.

"Teo?" Arizona calls from outside the coop.

"Yeah, Momma?" Teo responds, brushing the dust from his hands and depositing his bounty of one egg into the basket outside the door.

"Climb on up there and tell me if we need to do any roof work, please. I can't find a leak inside, but that one corner is always wet."

"Sure, Momma," Teo says brightly, scrambling up the ladder as she spots him.

Inside the coop, fourteen-year-old Caroline shoos Ariel away from her ankles and grumbles about the work. Lena just laughs and tosses a nail at her before picking Snowie up and bodily removing her from her work area.

"Go lay an egg," Cari complains at the persistent Ariel.

“Mm, yeah, I could so go for an omelet,” Lena grins.

A smile breaks through Thing Three’s annoyed exterior, and Lena counts it as a victory. She opens her mouth to press the advantage, but is cut off by a familiar ringing in her back pocket. She yanks her cell phone out, notes the caller id, and leaps to her feet, startling half-dozing Cinderella.

“It’s Mia!” she exclaims, heading for the door.

“What a goof,” Caroline huffs with a roll of her eyes.

Outside, Arizona calls playfully: “Hey, get back to work!”

“It’s Mia!” Lena exclaims again, sprinting to the back porch. She finally accepts the call and answers with a breathless, “Hi.”

“Hey,” Mia’s voice comes through warmly. “Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, no. I’m fine. Just fixing up the chicken coop.”

“Life sounds so exciting at the Robbins-Torres house,” Mia teases.

“It is,” Lena laughs. “What’s up with you?”

Lena cringes; that sounds lame.

“Not much. Lazy Saturday. My mom and I are going shopping, later.”

“Oh, cool. There’s been talk of family movie and pizza night tonight, but I’m not sure.”

“That’ll be fun.”

“Maybe,” Lena grins. “Depends whose turn it is to pick a movie.”

Mia laughs and then grows quiet for a few seconds, causing Lena to ask this time: “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes. I was just, um, calling to talk about yesterday.”

“Yeah?” Lena asks, half-ecstatic, half-terrified.

“Yeah. We’re, uh, we’re not friends.”

“Uh, okay...”

“I mean, no, we are. That, too. But we’re not _just_ friends.”

“Oh. Oh! Oh, wow. Really?”

“Yes, Lena, really,” Mia sighs with a laugh.

“So you like me, too?”

“Yes, a lot. But I’ve never dated a girl before, so you’ll have to talk me through this.”

Lena can’t help the happy bounce she does on the deck, the dull thud drawing her madre’s attention through the kitchen window.

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Does that mean last night was our first date?” Mia asks.

“No! No. I like my dates to know I’m taking them out. Last night doesn’t count.”

Mia giggles, and Lena flushes happily, continuing:

“So... Do you want to go out Friday? Dinner?”

“Yeah! Let me double check with my parents, one sec.”

There’s a crackle as Mia covers the receiver and searches for her mom. Excited little butterflies dance in Lena’s stomach as she can’t hold in her victory dance. Now her madre is unabashedly staring at her through the back door.

“Friday is perfect.”

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at 6:30?”

“Sure, okay. I have to go, though. Mom decided she wanted to go out to lunch before shopping.”

“Oh! Okay. I’ll see you Monday in school?”

“Definitely,” Mia promises. “And um, if you want to call before then, that would be okay.”

“Okay,” Lena beams. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay. I should, uh, go.”

“Right. Mia?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t wait for Friday.”

Mia lets out a shaky breath. “Me either.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye. Talk to you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. I’ll call you after church.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

They both giggle a little and then say a few more “Bye”s before managing to hang up. Lena stares at her blank phone screen and then lets the giddiness overtake her with another bounce.

“You’re gonna break the deck,” Callie calls from the open back door, arms crossed over her chest. “What are you so happy about?”

Lena continues to beam, phone clutched to her chest.

“I think I have a girlfriend! Or, I will. I don’t know. I’ll have to ask my _date_ on Friday.”

“Would your date on Friday happen to be with your prom date?”

“Yes, indeed. She _likes_ me.”

Callie envelopes her older daughter in a monstrous hug.

“Of course she does, m’ija. You’re you.”

 

***

 

“Dios mio, she’s the cutest,” Callie grins as she watches Lena pace around the downstairs while bubbly and beaming on the phone with Mia.

Arizona smiles at her dorky little girl, too. Caroline and Teo squabble and bicker over their video game battle in the playroom.

“Hey,” Arizona calls back to them, “Play nice or don’t play at all!”

The fighting lowers to grumbling, and Arizona returns her attention to Lena.

“What, exactly, do you think they’ve been talking about for – almost an hour?”

“I have no idea,” Callie laughs. "What do teenagers talk about?"

"Movies? The weather? Gossip?”

“Maybe.”

“Sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll?” Arizona adds.

“Yes, Arizona, that’s exactly what they’re talking about. ‘You bring the coke; I’ll bring the sex toys.’.”

Arizona shudders. “Don’t joke, Calliope.”

Callie smirks and wraps her wife in her arms. "Don't worry so much."

Arizona's front pocket starts buzzing.

"Is your phone ringing or are you kinda freakishly happy to see me?"

Arizona swats at Callie as soon as she gets her arms free, then reaches for her phone.

"It's Asa," she announces delightedly, immediately answering. "Hey, baby boy."

An even wider grin spreads across Arizona's face as he responds.

"I don't care how old or tall you are, _Midshipman_ ," she beams. "You'll always be our baby boy. Okay, okay. Tell me what's new with you."

 

***

 

After dinner (and seven ignored 'check-in' texts from Grey and Katie), Lena and Mia wander back to the car. The parking lot is pretty deserted, since they stayed late talking at the restaurant and were shooed out by the cleaning wait staff. Lena paid again, but Mia managed to elicit a promise that she could pay next time.

They grin and giggle all the way back to the car, hands entwined in a way that makes Lena's heart race.

When they actually reach Lena's little sedan (a sixteenth birthday present from Carlos, over the objections of both mothers), they linger and shuffle, knowing that once they get in the car, their night is that much closer to being over.

Their eyes meet, and Mia smiles, which makes Lena blush and duck her head momentarily.

Mia sighs, finally, and says:

"Lena, are you gonna kiss me?"

Lena's eyes dart up, face even hotter, making sure she didn't imagine those words. She's never been so nervous to kiss a girl in her life, and as the school rumor mill is happy to let everyone know, she's kissed a lot of girls.

Mia looks at her expectantly, illuminated by the stale, orange light of the dying streetlight. Lena takes a deep breath and embraces the butterflies, stepping forward. Her right hand reaches forward and slides across Mia's cheek, pulling the other girl towards her. Another deep breath, and Lena finally does what she's been dreaming of (secretly and not-so-secretly) for months.

At first the kiss is tentative and gentle, and Lena feels her heart in her throat. Then, Mia pushes closer, and Lena knows that this is different from all the other girls. She pushes back until they make contact with the back passenger door. Mia's hands come up to Lena's face, gentle, but insistent on keeping her close.

They make out against the car like that for the better part of a half hour, rather chastely, pressed close but hands never wandering. They break apart only when Mia's phone begins to blare from her purse, the ringtone loud and distinct.

"My mom," Mia blushes breathlessly.

Lena releases her so she can rummage for her phone, dropping her hands to the cool metal of the car door. Mia finds and answers her phone in time, but her gaze periodically meets Lena's, grinning just as stupidly as her companion.

"Hey, Mom. Yeah, I know, eleven. Lena has to be home at eleven, too, so we'll probably be a little earlier than that. Yes. Yes, she'll drive safely; she promises."

Lena nods enthusiastically, and Mia giggles a little.

"I'll see you soon, Mom. Bye."

She drops her phone into her purse and turns to Lena, only to be immediately pulled in for another kiss. She lets their momentum take her along again, but soon pulls away, reluctant.

"We _should_ probably go now, if we're both going to make it home before curfew."

Lena sighs, but acquiesces with one final kiss. She goes around to the passenger door and opens it, a gesture met with much eye rolling but an appreciative smile.

They drive to Mia's in relative silence, stealing looks and sharing grins. Lena lets Mia open her own door, though she grumbles about it.

Walking up the path to the front door, Mia stops them just outside of the glow of the porch light, hiding them from curious gazes. She kisses her one more time, short but sweet, and then says:

"If you come any further, you'll be caught in my mother's trap."

"I've met your mom before," Lena laughs. "She's nice."

"But you haven't met her as my _girlfriend._ "

Lena freezes. "Your girlfriend, huh?"

"If that's what you want," Mia says, suddenly shy.

"Yes, definitely," Lena insists.

"Okay, good. I should go."

Mia pulls away and heads to the door. When she gets there, it opens, and her mother's head pops out.

"Hello, Lena."

"Hello, Mrs. Randolph," Lena calls back with a wave.

"Mom, she has to go," Mia says hintingly, shooing Lena away.

Lena grins and waves again. "Have a good night!"

 

***

 

"So, Katie's going stag?" Callie asks as she sits down beside Meredith in the cafeteria. She hears an oh-so-familiar laugh from the line to pay and turns to wave over Arizona and Teddy.

"Yeah. She's discovered her inner feminist; she's going alone and being very 'girl power' about it."

"Good for her. And she'll be with the whole group at our place before, so it won't be much different than having a date."

"She could have a date if she wanted," Meredith counters. "She just wants a _specific_ date."

"I know."

"I just don't know what to tell her. Don't you think they're too young for long distance?"

"Definitely. They do, too."

"But she just sits around pining over him."

"And vice versa."

"Anyway! I heard things are more exciting in your house."

"Oh my god. The peppy and the perky and the dresses and the flower obsessing. She's even pulled Caroline in on it, and she's supposed to be my badass."

"No matter how badass, I don't think any fourteen-year-old can resist the pull of prom planning,"

"And that's when Lena's not on yet another date with her or talking to her twenty-four/seven on her phone. Like they don't spend all day together at school anyway."

"Yeah. I saw them here the other day. They're pretty cute."

"What are we talking about?" Arizona plops down beside her wife with a brief kiss on the cheek.

"The puppy love."

"Aw, I love the puppy love," Teddy grins. "And Nick loves Mia. I'm surprised how much time they're willing to spend with the younger ones."

Arizona laughs. "The little boys might be as smitten as Lena. And they do it so they can spend even more time together without us being able to complain."

"Is this her first girlfriend?" Meredith asks.

"She was hot and heavy with a girl from her summer league last year, but that burned out fast," Callie answers. "So, most serious relationship, definitely."

Lexie drops into the last empty seat to complete their impromptu mom-conference.

"Hey. What are we talking about?"

"Prom," Meredith supplies, easily.

"Ooh, I want in. I'm doing this whole thing a year early. Erin asked Grey to go with her this year, just as friends. What's the plan?"

"Who's Erin?" Teddy asked.

"Lena's teammate. The goalie. They're good friends," Arizona fills in.

"They're probably both feeling neglected," Callie adds. "Lena _used_ to spend all her time with them, but now it's all about Mia."

"Grey is a little heartbroken," Lexie teases.

"The parents are doing the traditional drinks and pictures at Callie and Arizona's. Erin and her family will be there, right?" Meredith asks the hostesses.

"Yep, she's in the limo."

"Thank god," Lexie sighs. "I was wondering what exactly the guy's parents do."

"Get drunk with the rest of us who aren't on call," Callie laughs. "We're old pros; we already did this two years in a row with Asa and Katie and their friends."

"It's the _oh god I hope they have enough condoms_ party," Meredith laughs.

"Two years, no grandbabies," Arizona declares, earning high fives from Meredith and Callie.

"I don't want a teenager," Teddy groans. "I want Nicky always to think girls have cooties."

"They're eleven; I think cooties might already be behind them," Callie intones seriously.

"Dammit."

"Alright, so what time are we all getting there?"

"Can we come?" Teddy asks.

"Sure. I'm sure Tiny Dancer will want a playmate."

 

 

***

 

"Girls, I'm coming in and you'll just have to deal with it. I'm actually related to one of you, and practically related to the other."

Grey bravely cracks the door open to Lena's bedroom to find the girls primping and doing makeup in tank tops and shorts, dresses hung on the closet door.

"Oh Grey, you look so pretty," Lena praises, pushing up to kiss his cheek and then fiddling with his tie and lapels.

"You too, Len'. At least here." He gestures to everything above the neck. "Erin and Ash just got here, but they're getting ready in the guest room. Andrew and Jake just texted to say they're like ten minutes away, to get more tuxes up in the place. Where's Mia?"

"Asa's room with Reina," Katie says, as if that were self-evident. "They can't get ready together!"

"It's not a wedding," Grey counters with a bit of a grumble.

"That's what I said," Lena agrees.

"There should be some mystery," Katie insists. Then she turns and starts rifling around in her duffle bag, grinning triumphantly when she pulls out what she was looking for. "Ally sends her regards."

Grey's eyes widen as she pulls open his tuxedo jacket and slips a sizable flask into the inside pocket, then slips a small one into his front pocket of pants. She smoothes his jacket and then nods.

"Um, what if I get caught?" Grey asks, only sounding a little worried.

"You won't. No one'll look at you. They'll all be looking at Mia and Lena when we get there from the restaurant."

"True," Lena allows.

"Hey, Lena, where's your mom?" Grey then asks, as if just remembering.

"Which?" Lena asks, returning her attention to her hair.

"Momma. I didn't see her at all when I was down there."

"That's weird. Maybe we ran out of ice or something?"

"Maybe," Grey allows. "Okay, I'm gonna go back where there is less primping. I did all mine at home." He brushes nonexistent lint off his jacket and playfully tosses his head.

"What color are your toes?" Katie asks, leaning over Lena's dresser for a better look at her eye shadow.

"A lovely green to match Erin's dress. Gotta be a good date, even if I'm just a friend. I have to pamper my date, but respect her independence."

As Grey takes his leave, Katie notes: "You have created the perfect man."

"I know," Lena says easily, carefully bending her way out of her tank top and shimmying out of her cotton shorts. "It's taken sixteen years, but he is my gift to straight girls everywhere."

"I thought the clandestine make outs were your gift," Katie teases.

Lena playfully throws her shorts at Katie. "Not anymore."

"Oh right. Only kissing the one girl," Katie corrects with a grin. "So cute."

 

***

 

Lena is pretty sure that Katie is channeling all of her energy of missing Asa into making sure this is the perfect prom for all of the couples, especially her and Mia. She doesn't have the heart to tell her that it already is the perfect prom, just because Mia is her date.

When Katie has sneaked out to consult with the other girls and plan everyone's entrance, Caroline comes into Lena's room, Teo in tow. The fourteen-year-old grins at the sight of her big sister all dolled up.

"Que linda es nuestra hermana, Teo, ¿no?" [Isn't our sister pretty, Teo?]

"Me gusta el vestido más ahora que in the store," Teo promises, a little cheekily, a little by rote. [I like the dress more now than in the store.]

"Thanks, guys. What are you doing up here?"

"Mami said we can't play video games with all these guests here," Teo says.

"Your partners in crime are here, though."

"Susie is with Katie. Nicky went with Momma on her errand," Caroline says helpfully, slipping off her flip-flops to try her sister's heels. "¿Cómo caminas así?" [How do you walk like this?]

"Carefully, and with practice."

"I better get a really tall date if I wanna wear heels to prom," the eighth grader sighs.

"You don't have to be shorter than your date," Lena assures her, adjusting her own earring and then kissing her sister's cheek, leaving a stain of lipstick behind.

"You've got something..." Teo laughs. He rubs at his own cheek with his palm to demonstrate. "It'll come off; it's still fresh."

Their Tiny Dancer is not at all ashamed of his make-up knowledge, learned from years of stage make-up and dance recitals. Lena is glad he has big, burly Nicky (even at just eleven) to help him ward off the bullies, even though they barely seem to faze Teo.

"Okay, guys. Can you go ask Katie if it's safe for me to come out? And dame los zapatos, Cari, por favor." [Give me my shoes, please.]

 

***

 

For all Katie's calculations, she makes a fatal mistake; she leaves Lena and Mia for last on the "stair descent", which leaves them alone upstairs for far too long. Lena sneaks across the hall to Asa's room. She peeks in and finds Mia in her dress.

"Wow. You, um, wow. You look beautiful."

Mia smiles and blushes. "Thanks. You look really pretty, too."

Lena self-consciously smoothes the front of her dress. "Sorry. I know Katie had all those plans for our big movie entrances down the stairs, but I just had to see you alone before all the crazy stuff starts."

"I wanted to see you, too. Just act surprised when I come down later, or it will hurt Katie's feelings."

"I promise. I'll still be super impressed; no worries."

Mia half-laughs, but there's an energy of nervous awkwardness that hasn't really been present in their month's worth of dates.

"So, how did your talk with your dad go?"

"Pretty good, actually. And he promised to wait to threaten you with bodily harm if you hurt me until after prom."

"Oh, that's nice of him."

"No complaining. Your little sister gives me that talk once a week. Maybe more!"

"Just be glad Asa's not here. But your dad's really okay with it? I didn't cause any weirdness? I don't know what that conversation is like in houses that don't have two moms."

Mia's laugh is genuine this time.

"I think he is. He's my daddy; he just wants me to be happy."

"And you're ready for this? Prom, with everyone watching and gossiping? We don't have to-"

"Lena Robbins-Torres, you will be a terrible date if you don't hold my hand when we walk in and ask me to dance for every slow song."

Lena grins. "Ok. I promise. I'll be a good date."

"Good."

The awkwardness is broken, and Lena takes one more long, appreciative look at her date before stepping in to kiss her, careful of their newly applied make-up. She hears Katie calling her name below, so she keeps the kiss brief.

"Better go before she catches us," Lena teases and squeezes Mia's hand. "See you in a sec."

Lena rides the high of that kiss halfway down the stairs, pausing and rolling her eyes and posing for her moms' pictures. Even her tough Aunt Teddy looks a little teary.

She almost doesn't notice the newcomer loitering at the inside garage door, arms crossed over his chest. She freezes and locks eyes with him, grin splitting wider to match the proud, adoring fraternal smile he wears. Lena hurries down the rest of the stairs and goes straight to Katie, leaning in to say softly:

"I think you might have a date after all."

Katie follows Lena's pointing hand over the assembled crowd of prom goers and parents, catching sight of who Lena noticed earlier.

"Asa," Katie gasps.

Everyone turns to look at the newly arrived Asa, propped in the doorway with his Academy dress uniform on, but Katie is oblivious, already maneuvering to get to Asa as quickly as her shoes and dress will allow her. Once she gets to him, he enfolds her in a tight hug.

"Heard you needed an arm to lean on so you wouldn't trip on your heels."

 

***

 

"I can't believe we pulled that off," Callie notes to her newly returned wife, as Arizona sidles up beside her, smug little smile in place. "How did we keep that a secret with this group?"

"Because we kept it a secret from our own children?"

"True. They are terrible at secrets."

"Totally."

They watch as Asa makes the rounds saying hello, noting his particular interest in meeting his little sister's girlfriend.

"I'm going to go make nice with Mia's parents," Callie sighs. "Wish me luck."

Arizona laughs and kisses her quickly. "Okay. I'll come over in a few to rescue you. The limo should be here in twenty minutes,"

Callie takes a big swig of her drink and heads over to the Randolphs. Meeting the girlfriend's parents was so much easier when it was just Derek and Meredith.

Arizona goes to check on drinks and ice, intercepted by Derek in the kitchen.

"It seems like your kids have a healthy dose of _McDreamy_ in them. How long have you been planning this?"

Arizona shakes her head. "His idea. He called me a month ago to suggest it. He said he hopped on a plane and prayed she wouldn't slap him."

"It's sweet. You know it makes your chaperoning job even harder tonight, though."

Arizona makes a face, wordlessly offering a refill on Derek's glass of wine.

"I'm tempted to make Teo share a sleeping bag with his big brother." She gestures over to wear Teo looks as overjoyed as Katie to have a surprise visit from Asa, smiling and laughing with Asa and the other big boys, Andrew and Jake. "But I guess that's not fair. I'll just have to hope that having them all in one room will result in a very chaste cuddle party, and not an orgy."

"Don't say that," Derek groans.

"Just remember: two years, no grand babies."

He nods emphatically. "Are you worried about them at all?" He looks over to where Lena is clearly charming Mia's mother, and Callie talks animatedly with Mr. Randolph. Arizona smiles to see that Mia's hand is firmly in Lena's.

"I mean, not babies, obviously, but..." He trails off, as if not quite knowing where he was going with that.

"Oh, a little, I guess. But it's new, so we'll see." She checks her watch. "I should make an appearance over there, and then round them up for some last minute pics when the limo shows up. Can you help herd the cats that way?"

"No problem," Derek promises, complete with his usual McDreamy smile.

 

***

 

Callie's never really felt this way before, but she wants to call off the limo and their dinner reservations, and just lock her little girl away. She just seems so terribly _grown up:_ all dolled up, flirting with her girlfriend, going out of her way to make nice with Mia's parents. It makes her remember that some day in the distant, distant, _distant_ future, Lena will put on a pretty dress of a different kind, and charm parents that will be her _in-laws_ , and start her own family. It's a _will,_ not a _may_ , because her Lena is the marrying kind, and Callie's pretty sure she made her that way. She instantly regrets doing that, not quite liking the idea of sharing her mini-Arizona with anyone.

Apparently her changed mood is picked up by Lena herself, who steals away from the zillionth picture of them all next to the limo and pulls her back inside the house.

"¿Qué pasa, Mami? You're making a face."

"You're growing up."

"Oh, don't say that."

"You look gorgeous, m'ija."

Her Baby Blondie grins and ducks her head. "Gracias, Mamita. And doesn't Mia just look beautiful?"

"She does, Lena-nena. Are you excited?"

"And nervous," she freely admits, her smile growing lop-sided.

"For what? Have you talked about sex yet? I just want you to be ready in case there are some expectations, and-"

"Mami. We're waiting."

"¿Cómo?"

"We're waiting," Lena says easily. "I'm not _quite_ sure where the exact line is, but we have several conversations to go before we get all the way there."

"Oh. Okay."

"She, um, she's done it before, with her last boyfriend, but I... haven't." As comfortable as she's always tried to make her kids when talking about sex, and as easily as Lena usually shares, her mini-Arizona blushes a little before pressing on. "So, we're gonna wait. Until we've been dating longer, and we're both comfortable."

"That's very mature."

"It's very hard," Lena complains candidly, earning an adoring smile from her madre, who smacks a kiss on her cheek and then wipes the lipstick away. "Can we go now? Now that I've promised not to have limo sex?"

"Yes. Have fun. Be _safe."_

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Okay, good. Go help get everyone into the limo."

"I'll get Erin to use her 'keeper voice. It's usually: 'stay in your lane!' or 'clear that ball!', but it can probably be 'get in the limo!' just as easily."

Callie grins at her absolutely adorable little girl.

 

***

 

"This doesn't mean we're back together," Katie says sadly. She's pressed in close to him as the music takes a slow turn. She relishes the feel of him against her again, but the buckles and medals of his dress uniform poke at her collarbone and the rough material of his jacket scrapes her cheek. It's a sharp reminder of how much has changed, even if it all feels so very familiar.

"I know," Asa sighs, even as his hand tightens around her waist. "L.A.'s not any closer to Annapolis."

"And in three years you're just gonna ship out somewhere else."

"Yeah."

Neither says, _Then why haven't we moved on,_ because dealing with that just seems even scarier than maintaining their half-relationship across a country.

"I know I should be overprotective and everything," Asa changes the subject, nodding towards Lena and Mia, "but they're really cute."

"Aren't they?" Katie smiles, twisting around a little so she can see the new couple dancing and laughing, sneaking the occasional kiss. "So sweet. And it's not weird. That's how you two have always been. Talking about girls and comparing. I don't wanna know how much you talked about me."

Asa makes a face, but doesn't deny it. He's got a tiniest bit of a buzz from the splash of vodka Grey spiked all of their cups of punch with, so he decides to enjoy that, pulling Katie back in close and forgetting that he has to be back in Annapolis on Sunday.

 

***

 

A movie plays in the darkened room, though less than half the people there are watching it. Erin and Ashley sort of watch, but talk more about all of the gossip and dresses of the evening, while Jake and Grey, the platonic dates of the night, watch the movie and fight sleepiness. The other three couples are not so platonic, but their sleeping bag activities are relatively chaste, mindful that the dark doesn't hide everything.

Lena slides her hand across the thin cotton of the T-shirt Mia changed into to sleep. Their sleeping bag bed is warm from the heat of their bodies pressed together, and Lena smiles and sighs as Mia places a few delicate kisses against her neck and collarbone.

"Thank you," Mia whispers.

"For what?" Lena asks.

"For asking me. I was hoping you would."

"Well thanks for saying yes. I really didn't think you would, whatever Grey and Kate said."

"They thought I would say yes?"

"Totally. They are still psyched they were right," Lena laughs. Mia yawns. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Probably," Mia sighs. She rolls over even as her hand finds Lena's and keeps it around her waist, threading their fingers together. "G'night."

"Goodnight," Lena smiles into Mia's hair.

 

***

 

"It's quiet," Callie notes, looking up from her medical journal.

"Hm?" Arizona startles awake.

Callie looks over at her and leans over to slip off her wife's crooked reading glasses tenderly.

"I said it's quiet," she repeats softly.

"Good quiet or dangerous quiet?"

"Good, I think," Callie says, setting aside her journal. "It _is_ four."

"So late," Arizona groans, snuggling into her pillows, even as one hand sneaks across the bed to rest on Callie's hip.

"I know, old lady," Callie grins, shutting out the light.

"Not old, just sleepy."

"Mhmm."

"Humph."

"Love you."

"Love you, too," Arizona promises into the darkness.

"How did we get so lucky?" Callie asks, flipping so that her wife is spooned behind her.

"Hm?"

"Our teenagers agreed to a chaperoned sleepover for their after prom. For three years in a row. With barely a complaint. I feel like we should wake them up and shove them out the door, tell them to go to an illegal party so they get the full high school experience."

"Seriously?"

"I mean, not really. But do you think that means we raised weird kids?"

"I think that means we raised _good_ kids."

"And how the hell did we do that?"

"No idea," Arizona says sleepily. "But they all had a little vodka on their breath when they got home, and Grey definitely had a flask on him when he hugged me goodbye, so they're not total nerds."

"Oh good."

 

***

 

“Doesn’t she have her own house? Don’t her parents want to see her?”

Callie grins at her wife’s thoughtful pout.

“I thought you liked Mia.”

“I do! She’s great. She’s just... always here.”

Callie looks over to where the girls are cuddled on the couch sharing a blanket, “studying” for finals, and talking softly. They've been dating for about two months now and have only become more inseparable in the month since prom.

“I like it. I know where they are, and I can keep an eye on them. Plus, watch this.” She looks over to the kitchen table where Teo and Caroline work on their homework. “Cari?”

The fourteen-year-old raises her head and meets Callie’s gaze. Callie gestures to the couple with a tilt of her head. Caroline grins and nods, balling up a piece of paper, which she lets fly towards Lena and Mia. It strikes Lena in the back of her head before falling aside harmlessly.

“Hey!” Lena objects.

“Keep all hands where we can see them,” Teo calls as if by rote. He and Caroline snicker and return to their work while their madre giggles in the kitchen.

Lena flushes and rolls her eyes, while Mia grins. Both raise their hands, though Lena’s have a more sarcastic twist of the wrist.

“That _is_ awesome,” Arizona allows with her own smile, looking to her gleeful wife. “But when did _you_ become the modesty police?”

“Oh, I don’t really care,” she says lowly. “That’s just hilarious. And I like to keep Lena-nena on her toes.”

Arizona laughs. “Just a little cruel, but I approve.”

“Hey, Mia, sweetie, are you staying for dinner?”

“If there’s enough, Dr. Torres.”

“Of course there is. We eat in forty-five, troops.”

 

***

 

“How come Teo always gets to DJ?” Mia asks. It’s a question that’s been puzzling her for awhile. Lena may not be like most girls their age, but she knows few teenagers that let their eleven-year-old brother control the music.

“Because he’s the best at it.”

Teo smiles at the praise, and Caroline beside him in the backseat shrugs in acquiescence to the statement.

“I get ultimate veto power, as long as I don’t abuse it. Caroline gets one veto a day. You can have one, too, if you want, Mia mia,” Lena smiles sweetly while she drives to the mall, one hand on the steering wheel, the other tangled with Mia’s.

“Thanks.”

“While we’re on the subject of car privileges,” Grey speaks up from the backseat, squished next to Teo.

“Yes, Grey?”

“I would once again like to file a formal application for a veto.”

“No,” the three Robbins-Torres chorus.

“Okay. Then I also want to know why I’m always in the back when Mia rides with us, even though my legs are longer.”

“Because she’s my girlfriend, and you are not.”

“That was a dumb question,” Caroline pipes up.

“You guys are gross,” Grey grumbles good-naturedly.

“I think you’re cute,” Caroline defends. “But please put both hands back on the wheel.”

“Ten and two,” Teo calls.

“Driving with my own peanut gallery,” Lena complains, releasing Mia’s hand with a squeeze. "Democracy day in Chooch is closing in one minute, so lodge any more complaints or comments by then before this goes back to a dictatorship.”

“I can’t believe you named your car Chooch,” Mia laughs.

"What name wouldn't be weird?" Caroline asks. "It's a _name_ for a _car._ "

Mia smothers a grin. Lena finds her little sister's snarky attitude totally grating, but Mia actually thinks Caroline is hilarious.

"Freaking peanut gallery," Lena grumbles.

 

***

 

"Why does summer league have so many games?" Arizona complains, slamming her car door shut.

"Because they don't have school?" Callie offers, grabbing her wife's hand and heading towards the soccer complex's fields. She waves politely to parents she vaguely recognizes from almost fifteen years of Seattle-area soccer, getting the sympathetic "yet another game" soccer mom look in return.

"Do you think she's going to be upset we're late?" Arizona asks as they approach Field Three, where Lena's game has already started.

"Nope." Callie gestures halfway up the stands. "She's already got her favorite cheering section."

Mia is in fact already there, half watching the game to be a good girlfriend, half reading the book in her lap.

"Oh, then we're totally unnecessary. Let's go home."

"I think she might notice if we just don't show up after we told her we would," Callie laughs.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Not exactly sure she _sees_ other people when Mia's around."

"I carried that girl in my uterus for ten months, and it was not pleasant. She better _see_ me."

Arizona laughs. "I really never thought you would be like this. You were never like this with Asa and Katie."

"Like what?"

"Jealous," Arizona teases.

" _What_?"

As they get closer to the stands, Arizona drops her voice. "You're jealous of all the attention she gives Mia. Mami's little girl is growing up."

Callie looks affronted. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mhmm," Arizona grins as they mount the hot metal steps of the bleachers. She turns her attention to the teenage girl just noticing their arrival. She greets her brightly: "Hi, Mia!"

"Hey, Dr. Robbins, Dr. Torres."

Mia looks just the slightest bit nervous to be sitting with her girlfriend's parents, even though she's met them several times, before and after she started dating Lena. Arizona thinks that's good; a healthy amount of fear is appropriate, but not too much.

"What's the score?" Arizona asks, amused as Callie maneuvers so that she can sit next to the girl.

"0-0. Lena had a nice shot on goal, though. At least I think it was pretty," Mia grins. "I'm still getting the hang of this."

"It was pretty," Erin's dad adds helpfully from a few rows up. "I know she likes center mid, but I think it's exciting when they put her on forward and let her open up on goal."

Arizona turns around to greet him and ask after the rest of Erin's family and how their summer is going, while Callie proceeds to be terrifyingly _nice_ to poor Mia for the rest if the game.

 

***

 

"Well, there you all are," Katie huffs, turning a corner in the winding halls of the SGMW basement to find Grey, Caroline, Susie, Nicky, and Teo all gathered conspiratorially at another corner. She narrows her eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

They turn around guiltily.

"Nothing," Grey says smoothly, but almost in a whisper.

"Uh huh." She goes for the weakest link. "Nicky?"

The eleven-year-old, though tall and strong for his age, is powerless under the pressure of her questioning gaze. He shuffles and clears his throat. "N-nothing."

Teo giggles a little, and it's a hilarious sound coming from the preteen boy. He quickly stifles the laugh as Caroline and the Sloans give him an un-amused look.

"Oh, c'mon, let me in on the fun."

"Shh," Grey admonishes, grabbing her shoulder and dragging her to the very edge of the corner.

She peers around and rolls her eyes, stifling a giggle of her own. At the end of the hall is a long abandoned gurney, currently occupied by, of course, Lena and Mia. Thankfully they are fully clothed, but definitely _occupied_. Three months into their relationship, they’re obnoxiously inseparable.

"You're a bunch of peeping toms," she whispers to the group, who are all trying desperately to keep their laughs in.

They are apparently not successful. Lena, half raised on one arm with her back to them, lifts the other hand in an unmistakable gesture.

" _What_ are you lot doing?" another voice interrupts them.

They all slowly turn back around.

" _Hi Chief!_ " Grey practically shouts. Lena's on about her fourth or fifth strike with Bailey and the PDA. She's liable to be kicked out of the hospital one if these days.

"Baby Grey, what is your problem? I am not that old," Bailey demands, arms crossed over her chest. "Nicholas, what's going on?"

Nicky Altman-Tate freezes, desperately torn.

"N-nothin, Chief," he repeats.

"Mhmm. I'm coming around that corner, Lena Rose, and I better not dislike what I see."

"Aunt Miranda," Lena clucks, heading off the scowling chief, Mia's hand in hers. That dimpled smile that even Bailey has trouble resisting is in full effect. "Who do you think I am?"

"Your mothers' daughter."

"You remember Mia," Lena smiles right on through.

"I certainly do."

"Hi, Chief," Mia grins nervously.

"I was just giving her a tour, telling her about all the mischief we used to get up to down here," Lena says easily.

"Used to, huh? Aren't you supposed to be at work, anyway?" Bailey asks skeptically, referring to Lena's summer position helping her momma's office manager.

"No, ma'am. I got off about thirty minutes ago."

A snort escapes Grey at her wording, and all of the girls in the group level glares at him. It thankfully flies over Nicky and Teo's heads. (For now.)

"Right, well. You all have cars. Stop loitering in my hospital."

"Yes, ma'am," Lena and Teo chorus, while the others mutter other variations of the same sentiment.

"Alright then."

As they all walk past her, Lena and Teo each pause to kiss either side of her cheek simultaneously, which earns them an affectionate eye roll and a pat on the shoulder.

"Kissing their chief," Bailey mutters to herself as the group pounds up the stairs. "What's this world coming to?"

 

***

 

After a close brush with curfew last Friday, Lena makes a goofy show of setting her phone alarm before they crawl into the backseat.

“Your dad looked at me like murder might in fact be an option last week,” Lena grins, tossing Caroline’s forgotten backpack into the front seat and then gently placing her phone on the center console. Then she grins and presses Mia back against the cloth seats. “I would like to make it to senior year.”

“You would?”

“Yep,” Lena says purposefully before turning her attention to the more important matters at hand: kissing the very hot girl in her backseat.

Mia giggles into the curve of Lena’s neck.

“If we get caught by a cop again, murder might be definite,” Mia points out.

“Well then keep your shirt on, Mia mia,” Lena teases, as her warm hands slide underneath said shirt.

“ _I_ didn’t take it off.”

“You didn’t complain at the time,” she reminds her even as she rolls up the fabric under her hands and Mia shrugs out of the shirt. Lena does think briefly that she really doesn’t want another awkward interaction with a dumbfounded young cop trying desperately to be professional, but that’s sorta lost underneath her much higher priority of all that bare skin.

It may be cliché, the amount of time they spend kissing in the backseats of cars, but sometimes a car is a teenager’s only path to freedom. Their make out session heats up and then slowly cools down as they approach the firm line drawn earlier: though shirts are often shed early in the proceedings, everything else (more or less) stays in place.

Somewhat conscious of the hour, their kisses grown more tender and less ardent until Lena pauses completely, pushing up on one elbow, the other hand tucking soft brown hair behind Mia’s ear and then tracing the curve of her cheek. She bites her lip and hesitates, studying the other girl’s features, then dives in:

“I love you.”

For a second, it seems as if even the summer crickets outside grow silent in anticipation of Mia’s response.

Mia tenses, a little surprised, but the earnestness in Lena’s expression tells her this is more than the raging hormones and the glorious feeling of skin on skin. She melts at the eagerness of Lena’s eyes, and her own green eyes start to sparkle.

“I love you, too,” Mia promises, even as she leans in to seal it with a kiss.

Declarations made, the heat grows between them and Lena’s hand starts to drift down to the top of the thin cotton of Mia’s summer-y skirt. Mia shudders a little at the contact, but then reaches a hand to still her.

“Not yet,” she says, breathily.

Lena blushes. “No, I know. I’m sorry, I just...”

“Hey,” Mia interrupts gently. “Not _yet._ Not here. I didn’t say never. I want us to be ready. It’s sorta like my first time, too.”

Lena blows out a breath, trying hard to hide her frustration, since that certainly wouldn’t be chivalrous.

“I’m ready,” she insists. “Are you... are you not? ‘Cause that’s okay. We can wait.”

Mia pushes Lena a little so that they’re sitting up and takes Lena’s hand in her own. She pulls her legs up and drapes them over the other girl’s lap, and Lena’s free hand idly brushes against her knees.

“I think I’m ready. But not in the back seat of your car.”

Lena flushes and grins. “Yeah, no, you’re probably right about that. I mean it, though, if you’re not...”

“Do you love me?” Mia asks simply.

“Yes,” Lena answers easily with a dorky smile.

“Then maybe we’re close to being ready. My parents are going away for the weekend in the middle of August. They’re leaving me home alone.”

Lena’s grip on her knee tightens, and she blushes again.

“Yeah?” Lena asks, trying desperately to not sound too excited.

“Yeah. That’s in three weeks. If you can get away...”

“Oh, I will get away,” Lena insists quickly. “Don’t worry about that.”

Mia smiles, now more than a little nervous herself, feeling especially exposed in the bright light of the full moon as Lena’s eyes trail over her body.

“Okay, so. Maybe then?” Mia says hopefully.

“Maybe then.”

The phone alarm blares a twenty-minute warning to midnight (their negotiated summer curfew), and both girls laugh out of nerves and surprise. They flirt and kiss and giggle as they find each other’s shirts and help each other back into them in the cramped space of the sedan’s backseat. Refusing to climb back into the front seat (too many incidents with car horns), Lena hops out of the back seat and holds the door open for Mia, before sprinting to the other side to open that door for her.

Mia shakes her head and says:

“Next time, I’m driving, and _I_ get to hold the door open for _you_.”

Lena beams and kisses her insistently against said car door before reluctantly pulling away.

“We’ll see about that.”

 

***

 

Arizona is currently engaged in a very heated Mario Kart race against her Thing Three. Afternoons like this have the double bonus of keeping her gaming skills and knowledge up so she can impress her patients and being the only chance she has at really quality time with fourteen-year-old Caroline.

“Lena told Mia she loves her,” Cari says nonchalantly mid-race.

Arizona veers sharply off the track, and Princess Peach takes a nasty tumble. (She prefers to be Yoshi, but Care Bear always takes him, so Peach is her second choice. Asa and Teo are Mario and Luigi respectively, Lena is _always_ Toad, and Callie wavers in loyalty between Bowser and Donkey Kong.)

“She- she did?” Arizona manages as her Kart floats back onto the track.

“Mhm. Recently. And Mia said it back.”

This time Arizona manages to keep Peach in the race.

“Oh.”

Arizona puts aside the joy that Caroline and Lena actually _speak meaningfully of their own accord_ outside of their sibling rivalry and focuses on the new information.

"She told you that?"

"Me and Grey on the way to pick-up Teo from dance," Caroline answers distractedly, tongue creeping out of the edge of her mouth as she navigates a turn. "You'd be beating me if you'd stay on the track, Momma."

"Don't backcouch drive," Arizona complains. "You spend a lot of time with Leni and Mia, right?"

"Ugh, so much time with the lovebirds," Caroline rolls her eyes. "But they're cute. It'd be nice to have that someday. But y'know, with a boy."

Oh good lord, Arizona isn't ready for that.

"And you think Mia likes Lena as much as Lena likes Mia?"

"Not sure that's possible, but if it is, yep," Caroline grins wryly as her Yoshi's kart slides across the finish line ahead of Arizona's Peach."Now would you _focus_?"

Arizona playfully smacks Cari's thigh.

"Watch the 'tude, dude," she orders warmly.

Suddenly a certain eleven-year-old flips over the back of the leather couch to land on her other side.

"We wanna play," Teo declares. "Um, please, Momma."

"Nice recovery, hermanito," Asa, home for his few weeks of summer leave, calls from behind them. "Is there room for a couple plumbers?"

"Only if you're ready for some butt kicking," Caroline counters.

"That's some tough talk from a little dinosaur and a pretty princess."

"Aw, thanks for saying I'm pretty, bubba. Alright, Luigi," Arizona directs to Teo. "Grab some controllers for you and Mario."

"Yes, ma'am," Teo flips over again and off the couch, landing mostly on his sock-clad feet.

"Como un gato," Caroline grins. [Like a cat.]

"Un gato bailarín," Asa adds. [A dancing cat.] "Where's Thing Two?"

"Three guesses," Arizona says dryly.

"Oh, Mia mia," Teo teases, affecting a girlish giggle and executing a beautiful pirouette.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," a fifth family member arrives. "You _cannot_ play Mario Kart without Donkey Kong."

 

***

 

"Hey, guys."

"Tiny Dancer, what are you doing up so early?" Lena asks brightly.

"Can I come on your run?"

The older three Robbins-Torres siblings exchange a bit of a confused look.

"I _can_ run, you know. I bet I even like it better than Caroline."

Thing Three makes a face, stretching out her quads, precariously balanced on one leg.

"That's not hard. No me gusta."

"Can you keep up?" Asa asks, and Teo deflates at the question and his brother's lack of faith.

"Sure he can," Lena steps in, scruffing Teo's head. "He's not a baby anymore. Besides, Care Bear's coming, and she's slow like a turtle."

Teo laughs, and Caroline sticks her tongue out at Lena.

"You're a jerk."

"I'm delightful," Lena counters, arm slung around Teo's neck. "Toma una banana y anda a vestirse. You can come if you're listo in seven minutes. We gotta beat the heat." [Take a banana and go get dressed.]

"Gracias," Teo beams and takes off for upstairs.

"I'll stick with him if he can't keep up," Caroline offers. "I know you two need to run out your _frustration._ "

Asa playfully swats her with a dish towel. "You girls are both jerks."

"I get it from my sister," Caroline deadpans.

"Me too," Lena chirps.

"Good morning, crazy fitness people," Arizona yawns as she joins them in the kitchen, headed straight for the coffee machine, where the kids have already left a brewed pot. "Mm, I love my babies; my babies make me coffee."

Asa, Lena, and Caroline roll their eyes and offer variations of "Love you, too, Momma."

"Why are you waiting around here?"

"Teo's getting ready," Asa supplies.

"Teo what?"

"He's coming with," Lena shrugs. "He asked."

Maybe it's just her tiredness, but the idea that their baby is finally old enough and big enough to join his siblings on their morning runs makes her inexplicably sad. Of course Lena chooses that moment to sidle up beside her and warmly kiss her cheek.

"'Mornin', Momma."

"What do you want?" Arizona grouses playfully.

"Tomorrow is the cookout. I was wondering..."

"Yes, Mia can come with," Arizona answers before Lena can even ask. "We would love to have her."

Lena beams. "Gracias."

"Teo, two minutes," Asa calls up the stairs.

"Que ruido," Callie complains, shuffling out of the bedroom. [So loud.]

She kisses each family member until she gets to Arizona, who has a big mug of coffee waiting.

"Mm, my favorite," she grins sleepily and kisses her.

"Things One, Two, and Three made the coffee," Arizona yawns.

Callie kisses her cheek and reiterates: "Still my favorite. Even if you insist in referring to my teenagers as Dr. Seuss characters."

Said teenagers roll their eyes at their moms' morning flirtation, very used to it.

"What are you waiting for?"

At her words, Teo comes bounding down the steps in his gym shorts and sneakers, and the kids all head for the door.

"Bye, have fun," Arizona calls after them.

"Is he...?" Callie asks.

Arizona nods, squeezing her arm and seeing her get a little teary.

"Can we...?"

"No. No more babies."

 

***

 

“Good morning, Mr. Randolph,” Lena grins her usual grin, keeping every trace of “I’m soon going to be having sex with your daughter” out of her voice.

In response, Peter Randolph gives her his usual measuring gaze.

“Good morning, Lena. Where are you spiriting my daughter off to today?”

Lena smiles through; she knows he’s still specious of their relationship, believing this merely to be a phase Mia is going through, but he seems to like her alright. He treats her as a strange hybrid of his daughter’s boyfriend and a regular female friend, and Lena’s okay with that. She just employs her manners in full force, and he can only respond in kind.

“Just to a family friend’s house, sir. They live up in the woods, near a lake and some creeks. Our families have been friends forever, and the whole group meets up there for a cookout a few times a summer.”

“So there will be lots of people there.”

“Oh, yes, sir, lots of people,” Lena confirms, not mentioning the many opportunities to sneak off unobserved.

“Okay, sorry, I’m ready,” Mia says breathlessly as she hurries down the stairs, t-shirt in hand, clad in a very small bikini and equally tiny shorts.

Mr. Randolph clears his throat, and Lena realizes she’s been caught metaphorically drooling. Mia pulls on her t-shirt after a look from her dad and grins at the blush in Lena’s cheeks.

“You’ll be back after dinner?”

“Yes, sir. My moms were planning on coming back at nine or ten, but we can come back earlier if you all have plans.”

“Mom said no plans, Daddy,” Mia heads off any thoughts to the contrary.

“Why don’t you two ever do anything here?”

“I told you, Dad. She usually has to keep an eye on her brother and sister. Besides, you’ve never actually invited Lena over here for anything.”

“Are you available tomorrow?”

“Dad.”

“We have church in the morning, but any time after one would be good, sir.”

“Daddy,” Mia admonishes again.

“You have dinner over there half the week; I’m just asking for one dinner with your girlfriend.”

“Let me double check with my moms, but dinner should be fine,” Lena steps in after noting how Mia freezes.

Mr. Randolph softens his stance with a thoughtful nod.

“I should probably check with Stephanie anyway. She hates it when I don’t keep her in the loop, even when I’m doing the cooking. Tentative yes, then. We’ll check in tonight. Have fun, Mia. Don’t get sunburned.”

He kisses his daughter’s cheek and then shoos them out the door.

Lena’s hand finds Mia’s as they head towards the driveway, and the other girl still looks a little dazed.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s never done that before.”

“Done what?”

“Called you my girlfriend.”

Lena stops and squeezes her hand.

“And the dinner,” Mia continues. “When I told him about Dylan, he insisted he come over for dinner, like, immediately if he really wanted to be my boyfriend. Honestly, sometimes I’ve not even sure he knows your name. He’s been so weird about it.”

“Oh, he knows my name. He likes to say it intimidatingly while I wait for you."

Mia laughs a little and Lena continues: "So this is a good thing, right?”

“Yeah. Definitely."

Lena checks for the watchful eyes of Mr. Randolph at the window, and then leans in to kiss her warmly and brush her thumb over her cheek.

"You okay?"

"Yep. Just surprised is all. It's been so weird with him," Mia smiles, pulling away. "So I heard there's promise of a water gun war?"

 

***

 

“Mia mia, have you seen the creek yet?” Lena questions as she entwines their fingers and leads her girlfriend away from the shade of the cooler area towards the other side of the house.

“Ay dios,” Caroline groans, holding the sweating can of soda to her forehead. “That is the _cheesiest_ thing I have ever heard.”

“What is?” Callie asks, fingers tracing idle patterns on Arizona’s knee.

“All that _Mia mia_ crap. Uh, stuff.”

Callie realizes with a start what her daughter’s nickname for her girlfriend means.

“I seriously thought we’d made her more badass than that,” Caroline continues.

Before Callie can respond, Susie Sloan, with her dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and enviably long legs, comes running over, t-shirt already soaked.

“Care,” she says, “C’mon. The boys got their supersoakers. I need a little help here. Asa and Grey are helping them; some sort of male solidarity.”

Caroline downs the rest of her soda in one gulp.

“Kate says hers are out in the shed,” Susie says quickly.

“I put a few in the backseat of our car if the boys didn’t already get to them, girls,” Arizona calls after them.

Callie shakes her head and teases her wife: “You wanna go join them?”

Arizona looks torn, but settles on, “No, I guess I’ll stay with you.”

“Oh don’t sound so enthusiastic. I guess after fifteen years of marriage, you just can’t get excited about me.”

“Oh, I’m plenty excited,” Arizona smiles broadly, leaning in to kiss her briefly. “I just think it would scandalize our teenagers if we got caught making out in the woods again.”

“Yeah, I guess they’re all old enough that they’d be completely horrified this time. Even if I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what Lena is doing right now.”

They’re momentarily distracted as Asa runs by soaking Caroline, Susie, and Katie with a comically large water gun.

“No fair,” Caroline calls as they duck behind an overturned picnic table. “You have arms training, and our fourth and fifth are missing!”

Out of water, Asa smirks and retreats to refill.

“You might convince Ally to join in,” Arizona calls over to the girls, “But good luck finding Lena.”

The girls huff and sneak off in search of twenty-two-year-old Ally Shepherd and their water guns.

“What was Thing Three whining about earlier?” Arizona then asks, dropping her beer into the cup holder attached to her lawn chair.

“Oh, Lena’s nickname for Mia.”

Arizona’s brow wrinkles. “Which is?”

“You know, Mia mia?”

“Yeah, so, it’s kinda cute.”

“It’s a really corny Spanish pun,” Callie sighs, taking a sip of her own beer. She watches as her adorable wife scrunches her brows further and searches her brain for her knowledge of her late-in-life second language. Arizona is pretty good at it out of necessity, and it just takes a few seconds.

“Oh! _My_ Mia, right?”

“Yeah,” Callie laughs.

“That’s...”

“Sappy? Corny?”

“Sweet,” Arizona corrects.

“Hmm.”

“So jealous,” Arizona sings teasingly, leaning over to kiss her cheek softly.

“Stop that,” Callie pouts, swatting her away. “I’m not jealous. I am not that mom.”

“You so are,” Arizona laughs. “It’s okay, you know. She’s still gonna dote on you, too, even though she has another woman her life.”

“Knock it off. And why are you so comfortable with all this? I thought you’d be a worried wreck.”

“I was,” Arizona shrugs. “But Mia’s sweet, and they think they love each other, and yes, eventually they’ll break up and be wrecks, but that’s part of being a teenager, right? I mean, it happened with Katie and Asa. _Is happening_ with them, actually, and we can’t stop any of that. She has to have a first girlfriend, and Mia actually seems like a pretty good first.”

“So what changed your mind?”

“Just watching them. And talking to Caroline. Lena’s clearly head over heels, but so is Mia, I think. That’s why you’re so threatened.”

“ _Arizona_.”

“You’re so easy,” Arizona actually giggles.

Callie shakes her head; they are entirely too old to giggle, but she loves that her wife still does.

“Only for you. In so many ways,” she shoots back.

“Oh good,” Arizona grins. “Now will you just admit that you’re the littlest bit jealous?”

“I’m not jealous. I miss having time with our Lena-nena without Mia around, as great as Mia is.”

“Well, she’s not coming on vacation with us next week, and we can confiscate her phone if necessary. Does that make you feel better?”

"A little."

"Good. Because I'm not sure, but I think if you give her an Oedipus complex, I'm the one who gets murdered."

"Sometimes your brain terrifies me, babe," Callie grins affectionately, threading their fingers together.

 

 

***

 

"How has she survived this long?" Callie asks of Caroline and Asa as they help her divide up six people's worth of laundry after their week at the beach.

Lena rushed through her own unpacking assignments and now paces, waiting for Mia to call and tell her it's okay to come over.

Caroline shakes her head at her sister's girl craziness. She knows exactly why Lena could wait so long: the promise of things to come. But that's not hers to tell, confided in her at one in the morning, cuddled in the double bed in the room they shared at the beach house.

Lena’s cell phone finally rings, and she answers it with a beaming smile. She gushes for a few minutes and then hurries to the living room to report.

“Can I go and stay for dinner?”

“Stay for dinner, huh?” Callie draws it out.

“Yes, ma’am. Oh, and Mr. Randolph wants me to stay and catch the Mariners’ game with them, too.”

“I thought we were going to watch the game,” Asa complains, half-teasing.

“It’s baseball, Asa. There’ll be another one tomorrow, same time, same place,” Lena grins.

“She’s got you there,” Caroline grins.

“Okay, that’s fine. But family dinner here, the rest of the week. Asa’s leaving a week from Wednesday, and your mom and I are going to that conference this weekend.”

“You are?” Lena asks, voice cracking.

“Yeah, down in Portland. Asa is in charge. I know you’ll all be good.”

“Oh definitely,” Caroline says earnestly, getting whacked with a pair of Teo’s swim trunks for her tone.

“Ouch, Mami, I was being serious.”

Lena grins and nods with her head towards the backyard where Arizona and Teo do their post-vacation duties.

“Alright, familia. Say goodbye to the chickie-whisperers for me,” she teases, kissing each family member’s cheek. “See you tonight.”

“Home by midnight, even if there are extra innings,” Callie calls after her.

 

***

 

“So,” Lena draws out the ‘o’ almost comically. “Is it different with a guy than a girl?”

Callie sputters out her coffee, and Lena grins bashfully, apologetically, handing her some cafeteria napkins. As much as Callie loves getting lunch almost every day with her Lena-nena while she works her summer job, she never thought the hospital cafeteria would be the forum for this kind of talk.

“Um, why?”

“Well, Mia’s had sex with a guy. So, hypothetically, if we were to have sex, maybe soon, in our hypothetical situation, I just wanna know. For the maybe.”

“For the hypothetical maybe,” Callie says slowly.

“Yes.”

“Okay. Well, on a basic level...”

“I don’t mean the penis, Mami.”

Callie laughs and tugs on one of Lena’s braids like she’s five again.

“Okay. So. Let’s start at why you want to know.”

“What if she likes it better with a guy?”

“Well, you can’t help that. But you don’t have to worry about that, because it’s not about anyone else,” Callie assures her, taking her hand, wanting desperately to do this right. “It’s about you two.”

“Can you really like both?”

“Yes.”

“Do you?”

“ _Hypothetically_ ,” Callie teases, “Yes.”

“Hypothetically?”

“Last time I checked, your mother is a woman.”

“ _Really_?” Lena can’t help a bit of snark.

"So, in this _maybe_ , ¿tendrías un poquito de nervios, m'ija? [Would you be a little nervous?]

"Quizás." [Maybe.]

"Good, that's good."

"You're not helping."

"You're not asking questions!"

"I don't know what I'm trying to ask, Mami," Lena groans, exasperated.

"Okay."

"Okay."

Lena ponders and chews on her fries for a few minutes.

"What if I'm bad at it?"

"Oh, you're not going to be bad at it. If you're anything like your mother-"

"Ew, Ma, gross!" Lena objects, loudly, with a shudder.

Callie grins at both her adorable look of disgust and her use of _"Ma"_. It had been the collective, indiscriminate word each had used as a baby for their mothers, and as teenagers they've readopted it.

"It's probably going to be awkward and maybe not great; it almost always is the first time. So don't worry about that. You'll figure it out."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Callie nods reassuringly. She's kinda surprised at how easily she sends her mini-Arizona off to become a woman, so to speak, but she figures if Arizona isn't totally freaking out, maybe everything will be okay. Or maybe it means it's her turn to freak out? Either way, this is somewhat familiar territory, and Lena is certainly blushing and stammering and spazzing a whole lot less than Asa had a few years ago. So she pushes through. "My first was... Por dios. Terrible. No puedes contarlo a sus abuelitos, ¿entiendes?" [Good god. Awful. You can't tell this to your grandparents, okay?]

"Mami, ¿por qué would I talk to _them_ about any of this?"

"Good point. Okay. Yeah. So yeah, it was bad. He was... Twitchy."

Lena snorts out a laugh, eyes bright. "Mami..."

"I'm serious! Just awful. You _cannot_ be peor que él." [Worse than him.]

Lena grins.

"And not outside. Y'know, hypothetically, if you do it, don't do it outside. Like, say, on your parents' hotel's golf course."

"Mami, seriously?"

"Yes."

"Good thing you don't have a hotel."

"Well _you_ do, but it's in trust," Callie teases.

"Que graciosa eres, madre mia," Lena sticks out her tongue. [How funny you are, my mama.]

 

***

 

“You really thought you could sneak out on my watch?” Asa demands, arms crossed over his chest.

Lena sighs. “I kinda thought you’d look the other way. And c’mon. You can’t tell me Katie’s not on her way over here.”

Asa’s arms drop, and Lena just catches the pained look that flits across his face.

“Yeah, she’s really not.”

“Aw, Asa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean.... But you have to let me go. Please. I’ll never ask anything else again. Nunca.” [Never.]

Asa thinks it over.

“I covered for you,” Lena tries a different tactic. “With the treehouse. I totally covered for you.”

“Oh. Oh, it’s _that_?”

Lena bites her lip and nods earnestly.

“Oh, shit, Len’,” Asa complains. “Okay, fine. But if you get caught, I had nothing to do with it. You sneaked out of here and no sabía nada. I’m supposed to be in charge this weekend.” [I didn’t know anything.]

“Deal.”

“Um. Do you need, um, anything?”

Lena blushes. “To not screw this up.”

“Just, take it slow. Make sure you’re okay, and she’s okay. But don’t think _too_ much.”

“Thanks,” Lena breathes. “Can we stop having this conversation ahora?” [Now.]

“Yes. Claro que sí _,_ ” Asa says hurriedly. [Of course.]

“Thank god,” Lena sighs. Her cell starts to ring. “Okay, that’s her. Gotta go.”

Asa pauses, wondering what exactly a big brother is supposed to say to his little sister who’s headed off to lose her virginity.

“Suerte?” he tries weakly. [Good luck?]

A brief look of horror flits across Lena’s features before they both burst into laughter. Lena comes to kiss his cheek on her way out the door.

“Night, Ace,” she grins.

“Goodnight, Lena-nena,” he smiles, shaking his head as she slips quietly out the front door. He turns the deadbolt behind her.

 

***

 

The car ride over is uncharacteristically quiet for them, but Lena guesses that is understandable, under the circumstances. In Mia's still, cool kitchen, Lena fidgets for a glass of water and plays with the condensation until Mia comes over and places a warm, mostly chaste kiss against her lips.

"Are you okay?" she asks gently. "If you don't want-"

Lena cuts her off with another kiss, fidgeting fingers finally stilling against Mia's waist, slipping under her shirt to trace soft patterns on the small of her back.

"I want to. If you want to."

Mia grins and trails her fingers down Lena's arms to pull her hands free, clasping one in hers, pulling her away from the kitchen counter and back towards the stairs. They climb the steps quickly.

"Don't worry so much," Mia whispers against her cheek as they reach the top of the stairs, dropping a kiss there. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Lena promises.

They make their way towards Mia's bedroom. As Mia goes to sit on the bed, Lena stumbles out of her shoes, flushing at the clumsiness. Mia giggles, and Lena looks up sharply. There's an adoring note to the laugh, though, and not a mocking one.

"How'd you get out of there, anyway?" Mia asks as Lena finally settles herself onto the bed. "Did you slip past one of the Navy's finest mids?"

Good. Talking. Talking is good, Lena thinks with a fluttering breath.

"Oh no, he totally caught me," Lena sighs. "I convinced him to let me out, though."

"Really?"

"As long as I didn't tell that he had let me go."

"Makes sense," Mia smiles, and Lena finally fights the butterflies long enough to kiss her soundly.

They tangle together back against Mia's pillows, and Lena lets out a shaky laugh.

"What?" Mia demands, pushing up on one arm.

"Just nice to not have a seatbelt digging into my back."

"That is nice," Mia grins. She runs her fingertips over the curve of Lena's cheek. She feels Lena's hands tremble against her hips. "You're shaking."

"I'm nervous!" Lena objects, exasperated, thankful she isn’t _twitching_ at least.

Mia finds Lena's hand and threads all ten of their fingers together. Moving to kiss her again, Mia admits:

"Me too."

 

***

 

The harsh sound of Lena's phone alarm as always signals the end of their time together. Lena rouses from her half-awake state with a groan, snuggling further into the back of Mia's neck.

"At least shut it off," Mia complains with a sleepy laugh.

"Mhmm," Lena fumbles and finally finds the offending device, silencing it and dropping it next to Mia, returning her arm to its place around her waist.

"How much time did you give us?" Mia asks.

"Not enough," Lena groans again, pressing a kiss to Mia's shoulder, exposed by the tank top she pulled on in the middle of the night. Her brain finally catches up to where and when and why they are. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mia promises, yet again. Then, less exasperated, more vulnerable: "You?"

Lena blushes and says: "Yeah."

"You should go," Mia says reluctantly.

"You want me to go?"

"I don't want you to get in trouble. You have to at least make it look like you slept in your bed."

Lena mumbles something against her neck.

"What?" Mia laughs.

Lena lifts her head and repeats: "I guess you're right."

"If you get grounded, we won't be able to see each other. Or do _this_ again."

Lena is up like a lightning bolt, fighting her way into her jean shorts. Mia laughs again, tossing her her t-shirt before climbing out of bed herself to drive Lena home.

 

***

 

It’s barely dawn when Lena sneaks in the front door, up the stairs, and straight into one of the bedrooms.

Caroline groans as a warm body slides into her bed.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Cari yawns. “You get laid?”

“Don’t talk that way,” Lena whispers, grabbing Caroline’s ratty green baby blanket from its hidden spot between the mattress and the headboard. “You’re still a baby.”

“Hmm,” Caroline responds, flipping onto her back and, affronted, yanking her blankie out of her sister’s hands. She holds him close. “Feel any different?”

“Yes.” Then, considering, biting her lip: “No.” A half-smile. “Yes.”

“Huh. ¿Vas a dormir aquí?” [Gonna sleep here?]

“Oh,” Lena startles from her daze, rolling over to kiss Caroline’s cheek. “Nope. See you when it’s real morning, Care Bear.”

 

***

 

“Your little sister snuck off and had sex, didn’t she?” Callie demands of her eldest son.

“What? No! Never under my watch,” Asa defends, returning his gaze to the book in his hand.

Callie stares him down.

“Why, uh, why would you think that?”

“Because she’s been walking around all day with a goofy little smile on her face, and it is suspiciously similar to your mom’s ‘I just got laid’ smile.”

“Ma, gross. C’mon,” Asa complains. “She was in her bed when I went to sleep, and when I woke up.”

“Mhmm. You’re a terrible liar. I’m going to interrogate Cari.”

Asa cracks a grin. “You’re not getting it out of her. They’ve somehow gone from total warfare to rock solid alliance this summer.”

“Stop with the military metaphors. You sound like your grandpa.”

“Sorry, Mami.”

“So you really don’t know if Lena-nena made a break for it last night?”

Asa clears his throat and keeps his eyes trained on his book.

“No, ma’am.”

“Uh-huh.”

 

***

 

"Hey."

"Hey, Momma," Lena grins softly, an echo of the sweetly stupid grin she's been sporting all day.

Arizona’s still so worried about that carelessly thrown about heart, but she enjoys the current joy that's radiating from her baby girl.

"Anything you need to talk about?"

Lena blushes and then wrinkles her brow, pushing one of the kitchen chairs back with her foot so that Arizona can join her.

"Is there anything you need to talk about, Momma?"

Arizona sighs a little. She knows she's not the cool mom when it comes to sex and the like, but she wants them to still be able to talk to her.

"Only if you do."

"Who's on first?" Lena quips.

"What's on second," Arizona smiles back. "You and Mia had sex."

Lena coughs on her water, eyes bugging.

"Whoa. Make sure a girl's not drinking, Momma."

"Is that a yes?"

Lena swallows another long swig of water and bites her lip. "Yes, ma'am." She studies her mother's face for any inkling of her reaction.

"And you'd talked about it first?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"How do you feel now?"

"Sleepy," Lena teases. "I'm good, Momma. Processing."

"And you know you can talk to me, about anything, right? I know I can be-"

"I know, Momma," Lena assures her, reaching across to take her hand. "I know. Thanks."

Arizona searches her daughter's face for any changes, but she still sees her baby girl, disconcertingly familiar blue eyes and smile unchanged in their earnestness.

"Don't just sit there at my table!" Callie reproaches lightly as she joins them in the kitchen. "Get your cute butt in here to help me with dinner."

When Arizona gets up and goes to the kitchen to help as well, she's met by her wife's hands on her shoulders.

"Oh no. Not you."

"Hey!"

"I prefer my kitchen without scorch marks, muchas gracias. Even though your butt is very cute."

She punctuates her statement with a firm, playful smack on said butt.

"Whoa, hey now," Caroline objects. "Innocent eyes in the room. Well, some of us."

She raises her eyebrows towards Lena, and Arizona loses it with a loud snort.

"I love you, Thing Three," Arizona grins, throwing an arm over her shoulders. It's an upward toss, since Cari now has an inch or so on her mother. "Come feed the chickens with me."

"Isn't that Teo's job?" Cari asks, wrinkling her nose.

"Not tonight. The boys are out to dinner, to get ready for Asa going back to school," Callie speaks up.

"Tiny Dancer's gonna be devastated," Lena pouts.

"He'll survive," Arizona promises, though, like Lena, she means _we_.

"So, girls' night tonight, then?" Lena asks. "Chick flick?"

Caroline groans. "Oh fine. Feed the chickies. Watch the sap fest." Her complaints are loud and dramatic, but her eyes twinkle. "Okay, old lady, let's go see your pets."

"Your pets, too! And are you calling me old?" Arizona objects as they head out the door.

"Yes ma'am."

After they're gone, Callie looks to Lena, who is diligently chopping away in her role as sous-chef, dorky little smile in place.

"You totally go laid last night."

"Mami!"

 

***

 

el fin

 


End file.
